#WrestleOslo

Live Blog: World Championships Day 7 - GR 60kg, 97kg and 130kg

Friday, October 8, 2021 - 07:33 By Vinay Siwach

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OSLO, Norway (October 8) -- Greco-Roman continues into second day with three more weight classes in action. 60kg, 97kg and 130kg wrestlers will try to reach the semifinal on day seven of the senior World Championships at the Jordan Amfi arena. Two Tokyo Olympic medalists and two former world champions will be in action. If you missed day six, here's a wrap -- Japan wins WW team title

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE | ALL PHOTOS

1340: Results of quarterfinal of the GR 97kg weight class

Alex SZOKE (HUN) df Peter OEHLER (GER), 4-1
Tracy HANCOCK (USA) df Kiril MILOV (BUL), 6-0
Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) df Vilius LAURINAITIS (LTU), 4-0
Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) df Giorgi MELIA (GEO), 9-1

1330: Results of quarterfinals of the GR 60kg weight class
Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) df Ayata SUZUKI (JPN), 5-1
Victor CIOBANU (MDA) df Stepan MARYANYAN (RWF), 7-6
Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) df Mehrdad MARDANI (IRI), 7-0
Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) df Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO), via fall

1320: Results of quarterfinals of the GR 130kg weight class
Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI) df Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU), 1-1
Aliakbar YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) df Oskar MARVIK (NOR), 2-1
Zurabi GEDEKHAURI (RWF) df Osman YILDIRIM (TUR), 3-1
Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) df Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), 5-1

1300: We will begin our quarterfinals shortly. All four bouts will take place simultaneously on the four mats. We will begin with 130kg

1235: Saravi with a slip to back and gets the takedown. He will roll as well. 4-3 for Saravi. Sargsian with a reversal but Saravi holds criteria 4-4. A minute passes. Saravi has another takedown. He takes a clear 6-4 lead now

1230: Saravi is called passive in the first period and will go in par terre. Sargsian, known for his big throws with his loud scream, lifts Saravi and launches. Two for Sargsian. He leads 3-0 at the break

1225: Both Sharshenbekov and Hancock win their respective bouts and the focus now shifts to the biggest match of the morning. Tokyo bronze medalist Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) is wrestling RWF's young star Artur SARGSIAN (RWF) at 97kg

1210: Tokyo Olympian Victor CIOBANU (MDA) wins 11-4 over Zhora ABOVIAN (UKR) and is moving on to the next round. Continuing on mat B, world silver medalist Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) up against Maksim KAZHARSKI (BLR). On Mat C, Gangelo HANCOCK (USA) is wrestling Ibrahim TIGCI (TUR)

1200: World champion Stephan MARYANYAN (RWF) has an great first round win over Ahmet UYAR (TUR). RWF has been great this morning.

1150: Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) delights the crowd here! At 77kg repechage, he wins 10-1 with a five point throw Ranet KALJOLA (EST). Simultaneously, Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) also advances to the bronze medal bout at 77kg

1140: Norway has their first win! Oskar MARVIK (NOR) defeats Radoslav GEORGIEV (BUL) 5-0 to win the first bout Norway. The crowd got behind him there

1130: Olympic silver medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) had a tough challenge from former cadet world champion Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) but he hangs on for a 5-2 win. Schultz has a big chance of making it back to the repechage

1125: Tokyo Olympian Kiril MILOV (BUL) silenced the home fans after he beats Marcus WORREN (NOR) with ease at 97kg. The crowd is getting bigger and bigger here

1115: Asian silver medalist Ayata SUZUKI (JPN) begins his campaign at the World Championships with a win. He beats Helary MAEGISALU (EST) 11-2. On Mat A, Vilius LAURINAITIS (LTU) had World bronze medalist Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) in trouble for the pin but could not finish it. But he managed to win 5-3 with that move.

1100: Two-time junior world champion Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) with a big win over Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN). That will take him to the pre-quarterfinals at 60kg after that 3-0 win

Two styles of wrestling are done and now Greco-Roman enters day two with a lot of support from the fans. Fans from Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, Turkey, Russia and even Kyrgyzstan are here. 

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open Best Move: Blades Suplex

Friday, February 14, 2025 - 15:22 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 14) -- Kennedy BLADES (USA) is making the suplex her own. After thrilling a packed Champs de Mars Arena with a majestic suplex at the Paris Olympics, the 21-year-old star began her 2025 season with two of them at the Zagreb Open last week.

"When I get behind, in my mind, I am like I have to execute this because it's so rare to hit a suplex," Blades said in Zagreb. "So every time I get behind in matches or big stages, I try to hit the suplex. I want to do it at the world stage because I know it will be on the highlights."

At the Zagreb Open, Blades was at 68kg, two weight classes down from 76kg, in which she won the silver medal at the Paris Games. She debuted at 68kg with a fall over Kendra DACHER (FRA) and another fall over world bronze medalist Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE).

The first glimpse of her suplex in the match against Noémi SZABADOS (HUN). Close to a minute had gone in the bout when Blades used her reach for a outside single-leg. Instead of going for a takedown, she stood up and locked Szabados from behind and out came the throw.

However, the perfect arch was missing and it was awarded four points.

Blades wasn't satisfied. In Round 5 and leading 7-0, Blades countered Karolina POK (HUN) in a perfect set up for a suplex. Pok made a half-hearted attempt for a headlock but Blades snuck out and moved behind.

Pok knew it was coming. She did not resist and Blades did not relent. A picture-perfect arch, a beautiful throw, safe landing and a cheeky smile at the end. Blades was content.

"I just feel like when someone gets a headlock, they probably have to throw it really hard because growing up, I used to wrestle Greco in the summer," she said. "So my coach always taught us how to set up the suplex if they grab your head for a headlock and they don't go. When someone gets in a headlock position and they don't go super hard, then the suplex is there. If I would ever be in that position, I just go flat because I know that they can probably throw me. "

While it has become relatively easy for Blades to throw her opponents at 68kg, she still needs to tackle their speed and movement.

"I think at 68kg, the girls just feel lighter and that's what makes it a tiny bit easier," she said. "The difference though is that they wrestle a little bit more so my conditioning and footwork needs to be better. Whereas at 76kg, they're kind of hand fighting. It's more like strength. But at 68kg, it's speed and technique. It's hard to distinguish if it's easier or not, but I think the fact that I was able to lift the girls up easy was the best thing ever."

The suplex isn't new to Blades. She performed one at the U20 World Championships back in 2021, then at the Olympics and now in Zagreb. However, Blades picks the one in Paris as the best one so far.

"The best suplex is probably my Olympic one because that was straight back on her neck, on the Olympic stage, first match." she said. "I was on fire. I kind of want to see that the suplex I just hit because I think it was pretty nice. But the Olympic one is so hard to beat and I was in a pink singlet."